Button-sewing mechanism.



C. A. SIBBALU & W. H. CANEY.

BUTTON SEWING MECHANISM.

APPLICATION FILED FEB.23.19I5.

1,169,290, Patented Ja11.25, 1916.

4 SHEETSSHEET 1.

C. A. SIBBALD & W. H. CANEY.

BUTTON SEWING MECHANISM.

' APPLICATION FILED FEB. 23, 1915. 1,169,890.

4 SHEET$SHEET 2.

vwemtozs Patented J an. 25, 1916.

J @fl'zaid Q l/Ifl Edi/766% wi/l maooms C. A. SIBBALD (KL W.H. CANEY.

BUTTON SEWING MECHANISM.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 23, 1915.

L169,29Q, Patented Jan. 25, 1916.

4 SHEETSQSHEET 3.

C. A. SIBBALD & W. H. CANEY.

BUTTON SEWING MECHANISM.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 23. 1915.

Patented Jan. 25, 1916.

an um x 016 Parana canton.

CHARLES A. SIBBALD AND WILBUR H. CANEY, O-F TROY, NEW YORK.

BUTTON-SEWING- MECHANISM.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 25, 1916.

Application filed February 23, 1915. Serial No. 9,966.

use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to letters or fig:

ures of reference marked thereon, which form apart of this specification.

This invention relates to mechanism for sewing flat buttons on fabric.

The invention also relates to the method of sewing flat buttons on a piece of materiaL',

In a button sewing' machine employing a laterally m0vable clamp, it is customary in the sewing operation to simultaneously and uniformly move the button and the material to which it is to be secured, and with'a machine of the vibrating needle type, the buttonand the material are held together when sewing on the button. In each instance the length of the stitch is limited by the distance between the holes in .the button, and on account of the small bite of the thread in the fabric, the anchor is weak and the stitches pull through and leave a small hole in the material. I

The prime object of our present invention is to provide mechanism for making the stitches cover a greater bite of the cloth than the distance between the holes in the button to afford a substantial anchor for the buttons.

A further object of the invention is to provide mechanism for creating a relative movement between the button and the cloth whereby the length of the bite taken by the stitch in the cloth will be of greater length than between the holes in the button, the lateral movement of the'cloth being the reverse of the lateral movement of the needle bar,

whereby in either instance the stitches cover a greater bite in the fabric than the distance between the holes in the button. -Our. invention, in addition to the foregomg, comprehends improvements in the details of construction andarrangement of parts which will be hereinafter described and particularly pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawingsz Figure 1 is an elevation illustrating conventionally a button sewing machine with .our attachment in position. Fig. 2 is a plan view of the imp'rovedattachment. Fig. 3 is a perspective view' of the details of the attachment, the parts being separated. Fig. 4 is adiagrammatic view illustrating the movement of the parts. Fig. 5 is a diagrammatic section illustratmg the relative positions of the button, cloth plate, and cloth, after the needle has made the first stitch. Fig. 6 is a similar view, the parts having-been moved to make a stitch through the adjacent hole in the but ton. Fig. 7 is a view illustrating the button stitched to the cloth. Fig. 7 is a View similar to Fig. 5, except that it illustrates the stitches complete. Fig. 8 is a view similar to Fig. 2, but illustrating 'a modified form of application of the invention. Fig. 9 is a detail perspective view of a modified form of material clamp. Fig. 10 is a detail cross section of the modification shown in Fig. 9, the button and material clamp being in position to pucker the material preparatory to stitching. Fig. 11 is a similar view illustrating the material puckered. I

1 indicates a button sewing machine including a needle bar 2; a loope'r 3; a cloth clamp 4; and a button holder and clamp 5. The cloth clamp consists .of a bar 6, pivoted at 7, by means of a bolt 8, which passes through a slot 9, the latter permitting longitudinal movement of the clamp. Pivoted near the forward end of the bar 6, at 9, is a swinging cloth plate 10, formed at its front end with an opening 11, for the passage of the needle, and fastened to said cloth plate are two forwardly projecting resilient aingers 11, which normally spring away from the cloth plate, the cloth being clamped betweensaid fingers and the plate in the operation of sewing on a button. Extending upwardly from the bar 6, are guide lugs 12,

which receive the combined button holder and clamp 13. This bar is provided with ears 14, which fit between ears 15, extending from the bar 6, a pin 16, passing through the ears forming a pivot. To the forward end of the bar 13, is adjustably mounted, as by bolts 17, passing through appropriate slots, a head 18, and to the under side of the latter are pivoted a pair of button clamps 19, and a sliding jaw 20. The clamps 19 and the jaw 20, are adjusted by a screw 20'*, and are constructed to hold a button over the cloth plate 10. Between the rear ends of the bar 6, and the bar 13, is a spring 21, which normally throws the head 18, toward the cloth plate to clamp the'button and cloth in position to receive the stitches.

The parts thus far described are old in the art, with the exception of the swinging cloth plate 10, hence it is not thought necessary to refer to them in detail. v

Pivoted at 35, is an arc-shape grooved lever 36, which is oscillated by a cam (not shown) located under the base of the sewing machine. Adjustably mounted in the groove in the lever is a screw 37, to which is pivoted the end of a link 38, provided at its opposite end with a depending stud 39, which fits in an elongated slot 41, in the bar v6. The stud is reduced at its end and engages in a transverse slot 41*, in the base, to prevent displacement of the lever when p the bar 6, is reciprocated longitudinally.

42 indicates a curved lever, pivoted at one end to the base of the machine at 43, and provided at its opposite end with a stud 44,-which fits in a slot 45, in the cloth plate 10. The curved lever is formed with a' slot 46, which receives a pivot 47. On the pivot 47, and a pivot'pin 49, on the lever 38, is a I sectional link 50. The link comprises two members 51 and 52, member 52 having a slot through which adjusting screws 54 pass to the member 51. At this'point it is to be noted that the pivot'43, of the curved lever 42, is located back of the stud 39, on the lever 38, and that the pivot 44, is consequently in advance of said stud 39; con-.

sequently any movement imparted to lever 38, will impart a like, but increased movement to the cloth plate 10.

In operation the operator elevates the combined button holder and clamp by means connected to the stem 60, on the head 18. A button 61, is inserted between the levers 19 and the jaw 20, and a piece of cloth 62 is interposed between the resilient fingers 11, and the cloth plate 10, then uponrelease of the lifting means, the spring 21, closes the head carrying the button onto the cloth, the parts now being in position shown in Figs. 1 and 2. The sewing mechanism is started and the needle carries a thread a, through the hole I), in the button, and the cloth thereunder to form the first stitch, as shown in Fig. 5. When the needle is raised above the hole I), the lever 36, is turned to move in the direction of the arrow ac, in Figs. 2 and.4, which'movement bodily oscillates the two bars 6 and 13, and in addition to this bodily movement the cloth plate 10, is given an increased swinging motion, as shown by the dotted lines y, in Fig. 4. Thus, as the cloth is carried by the cloth plate 10, it is given a greater lateral movement than the movement of the button, and thereby the thread is drawn some distance beyond the vertical plane of the opening I), as clearly indicated in Fig. 6; The adjacent hole 0,

Figs. 2 and 4, which bodily moves the bars 6 and 13, and imparts a greater lateral movement to the cloth plate 10, the latter movement pulling the thread laterally beyond the opening '0, as shown in Fig. 7 The parts when in this positlon are shown diagrammatically at w, in Fig. 4. Obviously .because of the relative location of the various oivots with relation to the connection between levers 38 and 50, the cloth plate 10, is in addition to its bodily movementwith the bars 6 and 13, given a swinging motion which .is so regulated by the adjusting screws as to draw the stitches out longer than the distance between the holes in the button, the bodily movement of the 'parts being equal to the distance between the holes 1 in, a button. It will therefore'be' seen by referring to Fig. 7, that the stitches .take in a longer bite in the cloth than the distance between the holes in the button, and that the thread engages a sufiicient area of the cloth to form a substantial anchor, and that all possibility of weakening the cloth where the button is sewed is removed. Obviously in sewing on buttons having but two holes. a lateral movement suchas described is all that is required, butif a button having four holes is used, then in addition to the lateral pivoted movement, the bars 6 and 13, and the parts supported thereby, including the button and the cloth, must be moved bodily longitudinally, as customarily in machines of thistype. movement, a lever 60, is pivoted to the base at 61*, and at its free end 'it is pivoted to To impart this longitudinal the bar 6, as at 62*, the pivot 61 being rocked by appropriate mechanism under the machine. The parts are so timed that when son, and the pivot stud 39, remains in fixed position, so as to impart the necessary lateral movement to the bars, irrespective of the longitudinal position of said parts. To adapt the invention to a button sewing machine employing a vibrating needle, the curved lever 42, is placed on the opposite side of the bars 6 and L3, as shown in Fig. 8. In lieu of the link 50, a link 65, is connected directly to the arc-shape lever 36, and the curved lever 42, which by reason of the relative locations of the two pivots 43 and 44, the cloth plate 10, alone is moved to correspond with the vibrations of the needle, the movements of the cloth however, being the reverse of the movements of the needle bar. The bars 6 and 13, however, slide longitudinally in guides 66, if buttons having four holes are being used. Of course, if two holes are used, no longitudinal movement is nec- 'essary.

Our inventionis not only applicable to machines. which form right angle stitches. but is equally applicable with machines which form diagonal stitches when sewing on buttons. Itis also evident that in carrying out the invention, it is not absolutely limited to a structure which involves moving the cloth, as it comes clearly within the scope and spirit of the invention to hold the cloth stationary and move the button, as our improvement'comprehends broadly means for causing the stitch to take in a greater width of fabric than the distance between the holes in the button. As another means for carrying out the invention, means may be provided to pucker the cloth under the button so that the stitches will be formed each side of the pucker, and thereby accomplish the desired result.

Referring to Figs. 9, 10 and 11, 75 indi-' cates a pair of pivotally mounted fingers which constitute the cloth clamp, and 76 indicates the button holder. When the cloth is placed in the holder as shown in Fig. 10, and at about the time the stitching mechanism starts, means (not shown) turn the forward ends of the two fingers toward each other, and with them the cloth is gathered together and forms a pucker, as indicated in Fig. -11. The stitches pass through the cloth each side of the pucker substantially, as indicated at 77, consequently stitches bite in a greater'width of cloth than the distance between the holes in the button.

WVhat we claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In combination, button sewing mechanism, button holding means, material holding means, and means for creating relative lateral movement between the button holding means and the material holding means during the sewing operation, whereby to cause the stitches to bite a greater width of the material than the distance between the holes in the button.

2. In combination, button sewing mechanism including a needle and looper, means for holding a button, means for holding the material to receive the button, means for creating relative movement between the needle, button holding means and the'cloth holding means during the sewing operation, whereby to cause the stitches to bite a greater width of material than the distance between the holes in the button.

3. In combination, button sewing mechanism, a material clamp, a button holder, and means for bodily moving the button holder and material'clamp, and in addition to said movement imparting a greater amplitude of movement to the material clamp than to the button holder during the sewing operation.

4. In combination, button sewing mechanism, a material clamp, a button holder, means for bodily moving the button holder and material clamp, and simultaneously imparting'a greater amplitude of movement to the material clamp than to the button holder during the sewing operation.

5. In combination, button sewing mechanism, a material clamp, a button holder, means for bodily longitudinally and laterally moving the material holder and the button holder and imparting a greater amplitude of movement to the material holder than to the button holder during the sewing operation.

6. In combination, button sewing mecha nism, a material clamp, a button holder, means for bodily longitudinally and laterally moving the material holder and the button holder, and simultaneously imparting a greater amplitude of movement to the material holder than to the button holder during the sewing operation.

7 In combination, button sewing'mechanism, a material clamp, a button holder, means for bodily longitudinally and laterally moving the material holder and the button holder, and simultaneously imparting a-greater amplitude of lateral movement to the material clamp than to the button holder during the sewing operation.

8. In combination, button sewing mechterial holder back and forth a greater distance than the distance between the holes 7 in a button duringthe operation to cause the stitches'td take a greater bite in the material than the distance between the holes in the button. i

12. In combination, button sewing mechanism including a needle bar, a button holder, a material clamp, and means for creating relative movement between the button holder and material clamp between each reciprocation of the needle bar to cause the stitches to take a greater bite in the material than the distance between the holes in the button being operated upon.

13. In combination, button sewing mechanism including a base, a button holder, a material clamp, a lever pivoted to the base and the material clamp, a link pivoted to the button holder, a connection between the link and the lever pivoted to the base, and means for operating the link, whereby to bodily move the material clamp and the.

button holder .and to impart a greater amplitude of movement to the material clamp than to the button holder during the sewing operation.

14. In combination, button sewing mechanism including a needle, means for holding a button, means for holding the material to receive the button, means for creating relative lateral movement between the needle, button holding means, and the cloth holding means during the sewing operation, whereby to cause the stitches to. bite a greater width of material than the distance between the holes in the button, and means for movingthe button holding and material holding means substantially at right angle 'means and the cloth holding means during the sewing operation, whereby to cause the stitches to bite a greater width of material than the distance between the holes in the button, and means for simultaneously moving the button holding and material holding means substantially at right angle to .the

- lateral movement.

In testimony whereof we have signed our names to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

CHARLES A. SIBBALD. WILBUR'H. CANEY.

Witnesses:

THOMAS F. PHELAN, HARLAN KENYoN. 

